The Wolf and the Wolverine
by Emlin
Summary: Sequel to 'A New Arrival' because people asked for it, and I wanted to write it. Emma returns to the institute, with a wolf in tow. Logan's not happy. *COMPLETED... oooerr, sad ending.*
1. In which we start the story

Disclaimer: Yep, I don't own X-Men. Any version of it. I don't even own Logan *sigh*. I don't own squat... Ooh, wait, I do own Emma. She's mine, mine, ALL MINE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA *cough*. Sorry. Oh yeah, I also own Adam. But I don't like him.  
  
A/N: If you haven't read "A New Arrival", you might want to. Because anything that's explained in that one, I'm not gonna re-hash here. This takes place after 'The HeX Factor' and a little during 'Day of Reckoning' (one). As usual, anything between //these// is a thought, and anything in these is a telepathic message. WARNING: There's mush in this chapter, towards the end, please forgive me, I promise the rest will be better =] Okay? Okay. On with the fic!  
  
  
  
The car roared up the drive. It was old and dirty from its travels, but well looked-after. It slowed as it entered the large gates, eventually parking near the large front steps of the mansion. She exited the car, clad in her usual attire of jeans and a short-sleeved black top. Her blonde hair - now long enough to brush her shoulders - was tied back, no longer obscuring the scar on her right cheek. It was in the shape of a cross, and had originally been burned into her flesh. Presently it was slightly red, like a healing week-old cut.  
  
She didn't shut the door immediately behind her, but held it open. A dark shape - not yet visible in the night - leapt out and looked around. Its dark eyes reflected the light from the windows of the building. Gathering her duffelbag from the boot [A/N: For you Americans, this is the trunk] of the car, she started towards the stairs.  
  
The animal didn't move. The woman sighed and stopped. "Come on. I'll look after you, don't worry."  
  
Reluctantly, it slunk to her side, following her as she ascended the stairs, into the light.  
  
She didn't knock on the door, entering with a confidant air of someone returning home. In a way, she was. Although she had spent less time at the institute than she had anywhere else, it was home to her. And she felt good to be back.  
  
Emma Marko didn't enter stealthily, but the three teenagers in the room were more engrossed in the television than their surroundings. "You know, that stuff is going to rot your brains..."  
  
Instantaneously, three heads swiveled (almost demonically in the case of Kitty, who was sitting fully facing the screen) to look at her.  
  
"Emma! You're back!" The enthusiastic girl leapt up and swept the older woman into a hug.  
  
"Hi Kitty," she said, delicately extracting herself from her grip. She smiled at Kurt and Scott. "How's things?"  
  
"Oh you know, the usual. School, training, kicking Magneto's arse and destroying his asteroid." Scott smiled at her.  
  
"Yeah, so I heard. Never a boring moment in this place."  
  
"Oh my god! You brought a *dog*?! He's so cute!" Emma blanched slightly as Kitty gushed. Scott and Kurt stifled their laughter.  
  
"Uh, Kitty..." She grabbed the girl's hand as she reached out to pat the animal. "I wouldn't do that. He's not a dog; he's a wolf. And he's a little highly strung. Oh, he won't hurt you," She explained at the girl's look of fear. "I just don't want to have to spend half the night looking for him in the woods." Emma smiled. "His name is Adam."  
  
She bent down and smiled at him. "Hi Adam, I'm Kitty. And that's Scott, and -"  
  
"Kitty, it's a *dog* - " Kurt glanced at Emma, "uh, wolf. It can't understand you."  
  
She stuck her tongue out at the furred mutant. "*That's* Kurt."  
  
Emma watched her carefully, as she slowly and gently stroked along Adam's black coat. He didn't move from her side, nor did he seem too comfortable at the other's petting. "Kitty, I don't suppose you could find him something to eat? I'm sure he's hungry after the long drive."  
  
She left and Emma flopped tiredly down on the vacant couch, closing her tired eyes. Adam followed at her heel.  
  
"So vhat took you so long? You've been gone for months! Logan's been murder..."  
  
She chuckled. "Ahh Kurt, how I've missed your concern for my well-being."  
  
"Oh man, I could show you some training bruises..."  
  
"Keep talking Elf, and you'll have a few more." Emma's eyes flicked open just in time to catch a priceless look of fear on Kurt's face as Logan entered the room.  
  
"Uh, I think it's my bedtime." Kurt vanished, leaving behind his trademark whiff of brimstone. Logan looked at Emma and smiled.  
  
They all remained where they were for a moment, but Kitty broke the stillness and silence by bounding in with the requested food. "It's leftovers from dinner, I hope it's okay."  
  
"I'm sure it'll be fine. But I think I'd better feed him in the kitchen." She relieved Kitty of the plate of food and made for the aforementioned room, Adam hot on her heels, and Logan just a second behind.  
  
**********  
  
"I don't know if Charles is gonna like you bringin' a dog in." Logan watched Emma place the plate on the floor. Adam sniffed at it gingerly, looked at Emma, then began to carefully eat. "Though he doesn't act like any dog I've ever seen."  
  
She leaned against the counter. "That's because he's a wolf. He's very well behaved, and not dangerous. And my uncle is probably asleep now, so it'll have to wait until morning." She considered Wolverine's powerful form, standing opposite her. "I thought everyone would be asleep."  
  
He answered her hidden question. "I was." A slight smile played upon his lips. "But you woke me up." There was a second of tense silence and stillness. "I could smell you a mile away."  
  
"Smell me?" She raised an eyebrow, incredulous to his claim. Logan's dark eyes stared into her green ones, and Emma felt her heart jump, her breath catch.  
  
He nodded slowly and took a step towards her, close but not touching. "Like chocolate..." He reached his hand up and traced a line down her right arm, shoulder to wrist, with his fingertips. Emma could feel her skin tingling at his touch. "And vanilla..." He was so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body. He leant down slightly, his lips close to hers; his voice deep and filled with desire. "And coffee..."  
  
Her eyes slid closed as his lips touched hers, and her whole body came alive with happiness and pleasure. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck, overwhelmed by the joy she felt in reuniting with Logan after so many months. 


	2. In which there are hello's and a little ...

A/N: Umm... I am henceforth dropping all accents in my writing... I'm too bad at them, and you all watch the show, so you know how they sound anyway.  
  
And to Queen of the Jungle: I live in Melbourne. Yeah, I've noticed there's not a lot of Aussies around here. Where are you?  
  
************  
  
Emma was pleasantly surprised to find that Logan had let her skip morning training. //But I suppose I'll have to make it up later...// She was glad to miss the opportunity of being shown up by the younger members of the institute. She had neglected developing her skills during her absence, and she was sure she would feel pain for it.  
  
Currently, she was happy to sit in the kitchen, a mug of coffee in one had and a newspaper in the other. It was pleasant until the stampede into the kitchen by a mob of teenagers looking for breakfast. Her presence stunned most of then enough in time for her to vacate the table safely. Adam followed her in close suit. He was better than her shadow, not leaving her for even a moment.  
  
"Emma?" Evan paused, the carton of milk halfway to his lips.  
  
"This is a pleasant surprise." Ororo smiled at her.  
  
"I thought Logan seemed happy." Emma chuckled at Jean's comment.  
  
"Yes, I got back last night. Did you all have fun in the danger room?" She received a glare from all bar Ororo, who was considering the animal at Emma's feet.  
  
"You brought a dog?"  
  
Emma opened her mouth to correct Storm, but Kitty saved her. "He's a wolf, not a dog. And I bet he's hungry." She came closer to Adam, crouching down to gush.  
  
Emma forestalled Kitty. "I fed him already." She could sense Adam's unease at being in a room full of people. "I think I might take a walk, find my uncle."  
  
She exited the room, Adam on her heels. As she made her way to Charles' room, Rogue entered the hallway headed past Emma. "Good morning Rogue." She smiled.  
  
The teen barely gave her a glance. "I guess" she muttered.  
  
Emma grimaced at the acid in the girl's tone, but didn't worry too much. Rogue had never really taken to her. But she supposed that Rogue kept everyone at a distance. She looked down at Adam. "That's Rogue. She has angst. Don't worry about her too much, but... make sure you don't touch her skin."  
  
**********  
  
"It certainly is good to have you back, we can certainly use your help with all the new recruits. Although I'm not sure about your friend." Charles looked at Adam.  
  
"He's very smart, and well trained. How can it hurt for these kids to have a pet?" She winced inwardly and hoped that the wolf didn't take offence to being called a pet.  
  
He was silent for a moment. "He seems a little... jumpy."  
  
"He'll be fine once he gets used to life here." Emma hoped fervently that she wasn't lying.  
  
"Where did you say you picked him up?" The professor's eyes bored into hers and she hoped fervently that he wasn't probing her just yet. She hadn't said where Adam had come from, and for good reason. Luckily for Emma and Adam, someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Yes, come in."  
  
Logan stuck his head in the door. "Charles, have you seen-" He saw Emma. "Ah, I see you have. I'll come back -"  
  
"No, we're not busy." Emma jumped in quickly. "What is it?"  
  
"Well the kids are all off to school, so I thought we'd get in some training."  
  
"Ah, yes. Great." She masked her apprehension as well as she could. "Well then Charles, I'll talk to you about this later. Can't miss any more training than I already have." 


	3. In which a bad, bad thing happens

Four hours later, when Logan finally let her go, Emma managed to drag herself into the shower and clean clothes before almost crawling to the rec. room and collapsing on the couch. Her right hand brushed the ground and Adam pushed his body beneath it as he lay down.  
  
Emma stroked his fur a little, in a gesture of comfort. "See? I told you they were nice people. They're not going to hurt you. Even Logan. He's a very gentle man."  
  
Adam sat up a little and gave her a look with his dark liquid eyes.  
  
"Yeah, okay, point taken. But he's only trying to help me. You'd have to do it too if you stayed."  
  
Emma closed her eyes and there was a strange noise, that of shifting bone and muscle. She didn't open her eyes, inwardly happy that he'd decided to change, even for a little while.  
  
"They are strange."  
  
"Well, dearest, so are you."  
  
"Maybe don't wanna stay."  
  
"You missed a word. What you meant was 'maybe *I* don't wanna stay.' Why? It's nice here. You've got this great mansion, people your age, who know your secret."  
  
"No! They don't know yet!"  
  
She sighed and opened her eyes, looking at Adam, who was holding his legs to his chest in a fetal position. Dark black hair still covered his body, slightly longer on his head and back. His hands still had claws like a wolf's, although larger. His teeth were wickedly sharp in a semi-human mouth.  
  
"No Adam, they don't know. But I'll tell you what; we were lucky this morning. Charles is a very powerful telepath, and I can't stop him from going into my mind. He will find out about you. Then it will go badly for both of us."  
  
Adam hugged his legs tighter, lowering his head at her sharp tone.  
  
Emma took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be harsh, it's just that I want you to be happy. I want to look after you. I love you. We have to tell him."  
  
"No. Not yet."  
  
Before Emma could get another word out, Adam shifted back into his wolf body. The conversation was ended.  
  
**********  
  
** "...I love you. We have to tell him."  
  
"No. Not yet."**  
  
Logan had very sharp hearing.  
  
A/N: Oooer... Aren't I devious? Sorry for the short chapter, but it's such a good cliffhanger! 


	4. In which there are muffins and a sort of...

Adam sniffed the air and whined. Emma had made the deadly mistake of spending the evening peacefully recuperating in the kitchen with a book. Generally it was empty after dinner, the students either involved in homework or less unpleasant, and nosier activities.  
  
All except Kitty. And Kurt, who apparently couldn't be found anywhere. Unable to track down the furred mutant, Kitty pounced on the next person she saw.  
  
"Emma, try a muffin?"  
  
She looked at it warily while the girl smiled encouragingly. "What's in it?" She asked, not really wanting to know.  
  
"Just normal stuff, like chocolate." She pushed the brownish lump towards Emma.  
  
Leaning back from the muffin and trying not to breathe through her nose, the elder grasped for an excuse. She couldn't think of one and was forced to take the thing.  
  
It was hard. Not hard like a cookie, but hard like a brick. Feeling Kitty's eyes bore into her; Emma held her breath and took a bite.  
  
She tried her best to smile, but she feared that it wasn't very convincing. She chewed and swallowed as best she could, looking regretfully at her empty coffee cup. The muffin - and she used the term very loosely - lodged in her throat and she had nothing to wash it down with, or remove the taste. Emma felt as though she'd swallowed a foul-tasting piece of stone.  
  
Looking at the thing, she decided that she might not be too far off the truth.  
  
"So?"  
  
"It's great. You know, Kurt should really try this. I'll just go and find him."  
  
She nearly ran from the room.  
  
**********  
  
"Kurt?" Emma knocked on his door. He didn't answer, so she carefully opened it. It was a good idea to open all doors in this house carefully. Emma had already been blasted with ice several times, and nearly incinerated twice.  
  
Kurt startled her by flipping down from his perch above the door. "Oh, good. I thought you were-"  
  
He was silenced by Emma shoving the remained of the horrid bakery product into his mouth. She watched him reluctantly chew and swallow some to avoid choking. He spat out the rest, swearing in German.  
  
"Hey." Emma pointed a finger at him, a wicked smile on her lips. "If I have to eat it, you have to eat it." She turned to leave, but stopped at the doorway. "And don't swear. Some of us do understand a little German."  
  
**********  
  
"Ah-hah!" Emma gleefully pulled the bottle of scotch from the drawer where Logan kept it. She took a swig from the half-full bottle and coughed, putting the lid back on. She hated scotch, but it was much better than Kitty's cooking. She put the bottle back in the drawer, replacing its covering of socks.  
  
"Oh, here you are." Logan closed the door behind him and looked down at her canine shadow. "With Adam."  
  
Emma frowned slightly, not recognizing the tone in his voice. "Yes, with Adam. He follows me everywhere."  
  
Logan held out a brown paper wrapped package to her. "The professor wanted me to give this to you, he thinks you should try it out tonight." He sniffed and cocked his head as she approached to take the package. "I thought you hated scotch?"  
  
Emma nodded. "But it's a lot better than Kitty's cooking."  
  
Logan nodded understandingly as she sat down on the bed and unwrapped the package and held up the contents.  
  
"This is great!" Emma hurriedly put on the new uniform. Up until now she'd worn a simple black uniform like the newer recruits, minus the gloves. The new uniform featured twin jagged lines - like bolts of electricity - on the back and front, coming from the shoulders and meeting at her waist in a vee. Instead of gloves, it had glovelets, which unlike normal gloves had no fingers. The reason why she couldn't wear gloves was because the amount of heat her power generated melted anything on her fingers. Long ago she'd given up wearing rings, as they either melted off or grew so hot that they burned her.  
  
Emma had been curious to learn that this was not a side effect of one of the new recruit's - one Ray Crisp's - powers. He was also not afflicted with the dark patches of scorched skin, like Emma. 


	5. In which there's German swearing and Ada...

A/N: I apologise if my German spelling is poor, it's been a while since I took it at school. And I couldn't be bothered to look it up. Neither can I give you a translation, because I think that if I did, I'd have to change the rating on this story =] Just use your imagination.  
  
  
  
It was complete chaos in the danger room. Emma was feeling somewhat proud of herself, having made it just over halfway through the course while the new recruits had been 'killed' with paint pellets.  
  
The objective was to rescue the 'kidnapped' and 'trapped' Storm and take her to the safety point. Without being tagged by a pellet, which constituted death.  
  
Emma's legs burned as she raced up a rocky slope, sending off bolts of energy behind her at a pursuing pellet gun. It dodged her first two attempts, but crashed and burned on her third. Rogue was a few paces in front of her, breathing heavily as they pelted up onto the plateau where Storm was.  
  
Finally on level ground, the two looked around cautiously. Storm was standing in the center of the open space, seemingly unguarded. Jean and Scott joined them in seconds, followed by Evan and Kitty. Kurt teleported he and Logan in.  
  
Nothing moved, and Spyke stepped forward. "Okay-"  
  
His movement produced a whirr of machinery and a circle of turret guns rose out of the ground around Ororo. Orange paint pellets flew everywhere, nailing a split-second too slow Kurt. Kitty phased through one, shorting it out. Logan sliced two apart with his claws, while Emma blew apart another.  
  
"Electra, look out!" Kitty warned her too late. One of the hovering guns plastered Emma so that her entire front was covered with orange. She sighed and made her way out of the danger room where the new recruits and Kurt were, all splattered with the paint. Adam was there also, and looked very happy to see her. It had taken a lot of convincing to get him to stay outside the danger room and wait for her.  
  
As she sat down, she muttered a slight expletive and mused that at least she did better than Kurt, who had been a x-man longer than she.  
  
The furred teen in question smiled cheekily as she sat opposite her. "Hey, don't swear! Some of us understand English."  
  
Emma looked at him and smiled sweetly. "Kurt. Du canst mich am arsch lecken."  
  
He looked stunned before he laughed. The others - who didn't know what she'd said - just looked confused.  
  
**********  
  
"Adam, don't sulk! You just can't come with me." Emma hunted around the room for her sunglasses, handbag slung over her right shoulder. "Aha! Here they are." She put them on, then slid them up on top of her head. "It's a mall, they don't let animals in. You'll be fine here with Logan."  
  
"Don't wanna. Don't like him."  
  
"Don't be silly. And use proper English. I know you know how." She checked her reflection in the mirror, adjusted her hair slightly and rubbed a finger over her scar. It was fairly faint now, as long as she kept her anger in check. "I really need some new clothes. I need clothes, period. And I think the girls will go insane if they don't get to go shopping. Even Jean's got that look in her eye. And Storm's busy, so I have to take them. I fear for my safety if I don't take them."  
  
Adam shifted back into his canine form and followed her out of the room, whining. She stopped him at the top of the stairs. "Adam, I'm serious. Don't make me chain you up."  
  
They stared at each other for a long moment before he backed down, sitting on his haunches with a sigh.  
  
She smiled. "Thank you. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."  
  
"You keep talking to that animal like that and people will start to think you're crazy. After all, he can't understand you, can he?" Logan leaned against the banister and cast a look between Emma and Adam. His tone was cold. He always referred to him as 'the animal' now. It disturbed Emma, for both he and Adam were important people in her life.  
  
Her smile faded and she crossed over to Logan, leaning on the banister beside him. Emma sighed. "Is there anything wrong? You seem kinda distant lately."  
  
He didn't look at her, shrugging non-commitally.  
  
She wasn't convinced, but she couldn't quite deal with the problem now a chorus of impatient female voices called out to her. "Hey, I've gotta go. But we'll talk when I get back, okay?" She leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek before departing down the stairs.  
  
Slowly Logan raised his hand to his cheek, the place where he could still feel her lips burning his skin. Hate burned within him. His dark eyes settled on Adam, and there was a soft sound of metal on metal as his claws extended from his hands. 


	6. In which there's shopping and violence

A/N: Alrighty, Sprite, I'll explain the German. *puts on professor hat* The literal translation is "You can my donkey lick", which doesn't sound too much like an insult. But in conversational German, it roughly means 'you can kiss my arse.' But it's also a double insult, because it uses the informal 'du' and 'mich.' In other words, not only was she telling him to kiss her arse, but she was implying that he was of lower social status or intelligence than herself... The second one probably doesn't mean much outside of Germany though.  
  
*takes off hat*  
  
**********  
  
"Wow, the mall looks great!"  
  
"Yeah, they rebuilt it really quickly."  
  
The mall did look good after what it had been subjected to. Emma hadn't seen the damage herself, but she'd seen the pictures in the papers. She dispersed the girls with plans to meet back in two hours. Unlike them, Emma had only been to the mall once, and didn't quite know where to begin.  
  
Luckily - or perhaps unluckily - Jean and Kitty saw her moment of confusion and each grabbed one of her arms.  
  
"Come on, we'll like, show you around."  
  
Shoes, clothes, make up, accessories. Millions and millions of outfits, hundreds of stores and a lot of money later, Emma was returned to the agreed on meeting place, weighed down with bags. Jean and Kitty were similarly weighed down, but with happy, sated looks on their faces.  
  
***********  
  
As the now-docile females entered the mansion, they witnessed a scene of destruction. Long cuts were gouged into the stairs, the banister was similarly sliced. As they stared, a section if railing that had been hanging by a thread crashed to the floor. Emma put down the bags.  
  
"Adam?" There was no answer. "Logan?" Still none. "Storm? Charles?"  
  
"This is weird." Jean approached the steps to get a closer look at the gouges. She touched them with a finger. "It looks like Logan did this."  
  
Emma felt a pang of fear. She'd experienced one of Logan's bezerker rages. She knew he didn't like Adam. And Adam was not here.  
  
"Kitty, Jean, I think we should go up. The rest of you stay here."  
  
They scaled the steps carefully each of their senses on high alert. As they turned down the male wing of the house, there were more gouges along the wall, slicing downwards. Emma spied something on the ground. She crouched down and touched the dark patch, confirming her fear.  
  
"Ew, oh my god, is that blood?" Kitty exclaimed. Emma wiped her hand clean on her jeans and noticed something else in the wetness. With difficulty, she plucked one out.  
  
"It's hair. Like Adam's." Her fear became steel bands that gripped her heart. She could feel every thud.  
  
A growl and crash from further down the hall startled the three of them. Emma stopped Jean and Kitty. "Find Charles and tell him what's happened."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Don't worry, he won't hurt me." //I hope...// "Go."  
  
As they phased down through the floor - knowing that the only place the professor could be and not hear the noise from upstairs was the lower levels - Emma took tentative steps along the corridor. There was another growl and a louder crash. The door shuddered in its frame.  
  
"Logan?" There was no reply. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her nerves and gently opened the door. The room - thankfully one of the spare ones - was torn to pieces. The unmade bed was slashed open, springs and stuffing poking out. The chest of drawers was little better than kindling and the carpet was spotted with blood.  
  
As she watched, Logan launched himself again at a - to Emma's surprise - partially human Adam. 


	7. In which there's more violence, a cameo ...

A/N: Sorry to interrupt the fic guys, but I've started writing the sequel to this story, and I'm having some problems. What I need is someone who would be kind enough to give the next one a read over before I start posting it, someone who has seen at least some episodes in series three, preferably episodes relating to the Acolytes. If this sounds like you, email me (emlin85@hotmail.com). Thanks!  
  
**********  
  
"Logan, stop!" Emma leapt into the room, just as Adam dove over the bed, evading Logan's attack, and hiding behind Emma. Wolverine spun around, growling. Emma could see blood on his claws, dripping onto the carpet. She didn't take her eyes off him. "Adam, are you all right?"  
  
He whimpered. "Yes."  
  
Logan growled darkly.  
  
Emma felt a tremor of fear shoot through her body, but she didn't let it show. "Logan. Please, calm down. Put the claws away."  
  
He didn't move, glaring at the hiding Adam. "I'm gonna kill you."  
  
"Logan!" Emma got his attention again. "No one is going to be killed. Just calm down."  
  
"No!" He shouted, advancing on them. "He can't have you!"  
  
Emma felt Adam flee through the open door as she stepped forward, placing a hand on Logan's chest.  
  
"Logan, I don't understand what you mean. Adam-" She didn't get any further than that, as his powerful hand swept down, slicing across her right arm and grabbing her by the throat in one movement. He raised her up so that they were eyeball to eyeball. She could feel his hot breath on her face.  
  
"I know, I know what you been doing." He growled, tightening his grip. Emma gasped for air, her green eyes wide with fear and shock. She clawed at his hand, trying to pry his fingers off her throat.  
  
"Logan..." She gasped. "I can't..." Her vision began to fill with black spots and Emma could feel herself growing weak. She hated what she was about to do, but it was necessary, and he would heal. She wouldn't.  
  
Her hands glowed for a moment before the electricity arced into him. The air was filled with heat, and blue lines of snapping and popping electricity ran across Logan's body. He was pushed back, slamming into the opposite wall. Emma fell to the floor, her hand holding her bruised throat as she coughed and gasped for air. With a groan, he began to stir, but summoning what was left of her strength, she zapped him again, emptying everything she had into him.  
  
It would have killed a normal person. Emma hoped, hazily has she tried to breathe, that it wouldn't do the same to him.  
  
**********  
  
The large blue face that filled her vision when she woke startled her until she realized who it was.  
  
"Oh good, you're awake. How do you feel?"  
  
Emma opened her mouth to speak, but her voice came out as a rasp. Hank handed her a glass of water. "Here drink this, It'll make it a little better."  
  
She sipped the water, wincing with pain as she swallowed. "I feel okay." Her voice was still hoarse. She sat up, realizing that she was in the infirmary. "Where's-"  
  
"Logan's back there. He's alive, but pretty crispy."  
  
Emma touched her throat tentatively. It was very sore.  
  
"The bruising is fairly bad, but it should clear up in a day or two. And the cuts on your arm are shallow, but you'll probably have a scar. Do you feel up to telling me what happened?"  
  
**********  
  
Charles was not happy about her deception.  
  
"I went camping with an old school friend, and at night I heard some pretty weird noises. So I though I'd go check them out. I found Adam; sort of halfway between human and animal, with his leg caught in a bear trap. He's the reason I stayed away so long. He's been alone in the woods nearly all his life, he's more animal than he is human. I had to re-teach him English. He'd forgotten everything of being a human. I don't know how he came to be there, neither does he. But he must have had a human home at some point." Emma rubbed her throat gingerly. It was still sore. Logan was still in the infirmary.  
  
"So he felt too afraid to reveal himself to us."  
  
"That's exactly it. I have to go and find him Charles."  
  
He nodded. "I agree. I'll send Cyclops and-"  
  
"No." She interrupted him. "No one else. Adam is hurt and very scared. He'll run away from anyone else."  
  
Her uncle didn't like the idea, but eventually he conceded to her plan, provided she took a communicator.  
  
**********  
  
"Adam..." Emma's voice betrayed her frustration. She'd been out for three hours, and she couldn't find him. He would have fled into the woods, because it was a place of security for him. But there were lots of woods. She almost wished Logan was there. At the thought of him, her hand flew to her throat. It wasn't swollen anymore, but it was covered in large purple bruises. If you looked close enough, you could make out the pattern they formed.  
  
A handprint.  
  
Logan had actually hurt her. In fact, he could have easily killed her. She'd never thought that he would ever do so. The fact that he had changed everything. Would she ever feel safe with him again?  
  
And what had he meant by 'he can't have you'? And 'I know, I know what you been doing'? She supposed that she would only receive those answers when he was awake and when she found Adam.  
  
Adam.  
  
The epiphany hit her with the force of a sledgehammer. Logan was jealous of Adam. //But why on Earth would he think that Adam would take me from him?//  
  
She didn't know.  
  
Night came quickly, and though her uniform protected Emma from the cool air, she couldn't keep going forever. It felt strange, not to sleep in the open air, under a tree, but to sleep without Logan beside her. She missed his warmth. 


	8. In which Emma realises what's going on a...

He sniffed the air, perched high in a strong tree. This would be even more perfect than he had imagined.  
  
A low growl escaped his throat as he leapt down and began to pursue his new quarry.  
  
**********  
  
Emma woke early, due to both the light and the uncomfortable nature of her bedding. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized what was in front of her. Adam was sitting on his haunches, his face barely an inch from hers. She sat up quickly, smacking her head on the tree as she pulled backwards.  
  
"Adam, we need to talk." She rubbed the new bruise on her head as he changed.  
  
"You said he wouldn't hurt me." His boyishly rough voice was filled with hurt and blame.  
  
"I know, I'm sorry. But don't judge the entire institute just on Logan. He has... issues."  
  
"Why defend him? He hurt you too." His black eyes gazed at her throat.  
  
Emma gently touched the bruising at her throat. "Yes." Her voice was little more than a whisper. "But he -"  
  
"Emma, are you there? You have to-" Charles' voice erupted from the communicator, startling Adam. He morphed back and fled into the trees. Emma growled a little in anger and threw the communicator as far as she could and started after Adam.  
  
*********  
  
"She's not responding." Charles turned around and looked at Storm.  
  
"The communicator might be broken."  
  
"Or she might be ignoring it." Charles had a strong suspicion that it was the latter. "We'll have to send out a team, Logan's not strong enough to -"  
  
"The hell I ain't." The man in question entered the room, looking - as Hank had put it - slightly crispy with regards to his hair, but otherwise fine. "This is my fight, Charles. Just tell me where he is."  
  
**********  
  
Adam eventually stopped running. Emma flopped down beside him, panting heavily. "Oh thank god," she gasped. "I really... can't keep up... with you."  
  
Adam shifted again. After she had enough air to ask him properly, Emma asked Adam why Logan had attacked him. He shrugged.  
  
"I don't understand. He kept saying that I couldn't have you. What does that mean?"  
  
She frowned and sat up. "I'm not quite sure. He knew that you were a mutant, but why...?" Suddenly she slapped a hand to her forehead. "Oh wow. I'm really dense."  
  
Adam looked at her blank-faced, but there was curiosity in his eyes. He didn't express much via facial movement. Emma had learned to rely on his eyes. "He thinks I was having an affair. With you."  
  
"Affair?"  
  
"Affair is..." Emma struggled to explain. "Like if your mate mated with another."  
  
"Ah! But we didn't..."  
  
She laughed shortly and mirthlessly. "No, but Logan does get mad very easily. She stood. "I can't believe he didn't trust me enough to just ask me!"  
  
She was forestalled from her rant as Adam stood up very quickly, looking into the forest around them. "What is it?" Emma strained her ears, but couldn't hear anything.  
  
Then she did. A twig cracked softly. So softly that she might have missed it. Emma thought she'd imagined it for a moment, but then she heard a faint whooshing noise. On instinct, she dropped flat to the ground, and something large hurtled over her.  
  
She leapt up, just as it - he - did. His hair was long, and a dirty blonde colour. His coat swirled in the breeze as he looked at her, his clawed hands curling slightly.  
  
He smiled, bearing his wicked teeth in a way that made Emma's blood freeze. She brought her hands up, glowing slightly with energy. She recognized him from his description, and realized that she most likely was going to die if he attacked her. Her powers were still somewhat weak from her encounter with Logan, and even at full power, she wasn't sure if she could take him down.  
  
//Why, oh why, did I throw away that communicator?// 


	9. In which there's Sabretooth and a few ha...

Sabretooth growled, eerily similar to the way Wolverine did. "Out here all alone? That's dangerous..."  
  
Before Emma could retort, he launched himself at her. She dove to the right, but he clipped her left shoulder. Off-balance, she slammed backwards into a tree. She coughed, winded, and saw Adam launch himself at her attacker.  
  
"Adam, no!" She shouted, too late to stop him. He latched his teeth into Sabretooth's large bicep, but was quickly shaken off. He was slammed to the ground, hard. He didn't move.  
  
Emma turned her gaze to the large man, witnessing the wound Adam had made close up. Gathering her strength, she brought her hands up and launched a stream of electricity. It hit him mid-chest, knocking him backwards.  
  
She cut off the flow, as he lay on the ground, unmoving, slightly smoking. Keeping an eye of Sabretooth, Emma rushed to Adam's side. He was alive, but in pain. "Adam, we need to get to the institute. Can you walk?" She didn't fancy carrying him all the way back to the institute.  
  
Adam didn't get to answer her. A large fist connected with her jaw, sending her sprawling.  
  
Emma shook her head, trying to clear the spots from her vision. Her jaw throbbed and blood filled her mouth where she'd bitten her tongue. She tried to stand up, but she was grabbed by the back of her uniform and hauled up. Sharp claws sliced through material and flesh and Emma cried out in pain. Calling on her last reserves of an already thin supply, she zapped Sabretooth. He let her go, his back arching in pain.  
  
But it passed quickly, and he smiled. She was getting weak. He wondered how Logan would react when he found her dead.  
  
He looked around. She wasn't there.  
  
**********  
  
Logan was moving swiftly when he heard the snapping and crackling of Emma's power. Now he was running.  
  
**********  
  
Emma stood very, very still. Her mental powers were severely under developed, and due to her age, probably would never reach their full potential.  
  
As long as Emma didn't make a noise, or let him touch her, Sabretooth wouldn't know she was there. Grunting and sniffing the air, he took a few steps back, searching the area for her.  
  
Her whole body was shaking with fear and the strain of moving so slowly. She finally reached Adam, and extended her efforts to cover him too. Sweat broke out on her brow from the strain of the illusion. She was trying to work out a way to move him without making a noise, when a loud crashing came towards them.  
  
Logan burst into the clearing, and Adam whimpered quietly. Sabretooth whirled around, and Emma's illusion failed. But before he could attack them, Wolverine was upon him.  
  
Emma dragged Adam as gently as she could behind a large tree, holding him to her as she kept her eyes closed and hoped. She was very tired, and hurt. Adam was hurt, although she didn't know how badly. And she didn't know who she was more afraid of, Wolverine or Sabretooth.  
  
The tree shuddered, shaking loose a shower of pine needles onto Adam and Emma. The fight continued, neither of them looking, content to just hide. Then, silence. For a moment Emma though one of them had died, but then she was aware of someone abandoning the scene.  
  
A shadow fell over them. Warily, Emma looked up. It was Logan, but he didn't look happy.  
  
"See the trouble he's caused?" He snarled, glancing accusatorily at Adam.  
  
"He's caused?" Emma shifted the wolf and stood up, coming as face-to face with Logan as she could, being a good six inches shorter than he was. "*He* has not caused anything!" Anger began to fill her, and she knew she should check it, but she didn't. "He is nothing more than a confused teenager! Just like I was, just like all of the kids at the institute!" She could feel it starting, the burning of her flesh, the tightening of the skin of her face.  
  
"I don't believe you!" Another person may have been scared by Logan, but Emma was far too mad. Adam whimpered again and limped away as quickly as he could. Emma let him go.  
  
"I can't believe you don't trust me! I'm surprised you turned up to help at all!" She noticed something in his eyes. "You didn't did you? The only reason you came was pursue your mindless vendetta!" Her skin split along the lines of her cross-shaped scar, and blood began to trickle out of it.  
  
"Well, go Logan. Chase Sabretooth to the end of the Earth. I hope you beat each other to death!" She didn't wait for a reply, turning on her heel to follow Adam into the forest.  
  
Logan didn't follow. 


	10. In which the story is finished for now

A/N: People, I still need someone to read over the next fic. It's a fairly easy job, you'll get to see the fic before anyone else does, plus I might even let you name it. And if I don't find someone, I won't post it until I can see series three... And that might take a while.  
  
**********  
  
Later, she cried. She missed Logan's physical presence keenly, and the lingering remnant of him in her mind worsened the sensation. She'd stopped bleeding, and the scar was on its way to healing again.  
  
Adam hadn't quite understood her explanation for the phenomena, but Emma mused that that was fair enough, because she didn't really either. Possibly the only one who did was Charles, and maybe Psion. When she had fought Psion it had left an imprint in her mind, that was connected to her anger. The wound that Psion had been forcing her body to reopen now opened anytime she succumbed to extreme anger.  
  
"Emma. I'm sorry."  
  
"Sorry for what?" She looked at him, her eyes shining bright in the light of the fire between them.  
  
"Making Logan mad. Making you mad."  
  
"Oh Adam, don't be. It isn't your fault. If anything, I should be thanking you. He doesn't trust me and you can't get far in any relationship without trust."  
  
There was silence again.  
  
"I don't belong. Not even here."  
  
"What do you mean?" Emma's brow was slightly furrowed in confusion.  
  
"People. I don't belong. Much happier here, in trees."  
  
She was silent, realizing that he was right. Instead of trying to help him, she'd been forcing him to join a world he didn't want to. "I once said that you were more animal than human. But now I think you're a better human than a lot of people. I'll take you home if you want."  
  
He nodded.  
  
**********  
  
It was almost noon by the time Emma made it back to the mansion. She went up the newly repaired stairs without talking to anyone. A shower, and welcome change of clothes later, she was packing. Adam was waiting at the edge of the woods. She looked at her face in the mirror. Her scar was angry and red, the bruises on her neck had become an ugly yellow-brown, and the new bruise on her jaw was a flourishing purple-blue.  
  
"If I keep this up I'll have to start to coordinating my wardrobe with my bruising." She remarked as she went back to shoving clothes back in her duffelbag. It was a great deal bigger than when she had arrived, due to the clothes she had bought. Someone had packed them away in their - his room. Emma was nearly finished when she came upon the light blue sundress.  
  
She didn't really wear dresses, because she'd always thought that were somewhat impractical. But Jean and Kitty had insisted that it was beautiful on her, even persuading her to buy black low-heeled sandals to wear with it. She'd thought that Logan would like it.  
  
Emma closed the cupboard. Then she opened it again and threw the dress into the bag, along with the sandals.  
  
She zipped it up and looked around the room. She'd lain her torn uniform out on the bed. There was nothing of hers left in it that wasn't slung over her shoulder, and soon even she would be gone.  
  
Emma noted that the gouges in the walls had been repaired. //Whoever Uncle gets to do his repairs, they're sure quick...// She was halfway down the stairs when Scott saw her.  
  
"Emma! You're here. Wow, you look awful" He took in her bruises, new and old. Then he noted the bag. "Where are you going."  
  
She shrugged. "Gee, thanks. I've got something to take care of."  
  
He looked like he had something to say, but didn't quite know how to tell her.  
  
"What is it Scott?" She smiled thinly, even though it was the furthest thing from how she felt.  
  
"Well uh, actually I should let the Professor tell you-"  
  
"Scott." Emma didn't want to play games.  
  
"Logan's gone missing. He was chasing Sabretooth and he just disappeared. We can't find him with Cerebro." Scott looked like he was braced for a stronger reaction than the one she had.  
  
"Ah. Well, I'll see ya." He stopped her.  
  
"Did you hear me right? Logan's missing."  
  
Emma opened the door and pulled her sunglasses down from the top of her head. She looked at Scott, sunglasses, to sunglasses. "And I should care why?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Finis.  
  
A/N: Yes, ooer, feel the angst in the air... Will it be resolved, or won't it? I'll wait for your input =] 


End file.
